Steering trailer hitch



Aug.4 16, 1949. J. HElKKlNEN 2,479,113

STEERING TRAILER HITCH y I Filed Nov. 14, 1947' Ari/1 meyx Patented Aug. 16, 1949 YSTEERING TRAILER HI'rcH J ohn` Heikkinen, Mohawk, Mich., Y assignor of thirty per cent to Charles Heikkinen, Mohawk,

- Mich.

Application Nbvember 14, 1947, serial No. 786,094

1 claim. (C1. 28o-#3355 This invention relates to an improved'construction of steering trailer hitch especially adapted for use with trailers provided with four .or more ground wheels including the front steering wheels andl is especially applicable toY trailers utilizing an automobile chassis or vsimilar structure employing a connecting or steering rod for causing the turning movement ofthe front wheels of the trailer as a unit.

More particularly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a'trailerhitch of extremely simple construction capable of being readily connected to a trailer chassis whereby the'pulling force from a draft vehicle will be exerted on the frontaxle of the trailer and by means of which any turning movement of the draft vehicle will be imparted to the steering wheels of the trailer through the Atrailer hitch to the connecting rod for causing the trailer to steer with a maximum of ease and readily follow the path of a draft vehicle and Which will like- Wise greatly facilitate backing movement of a trailer, coupled to a draft vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trailer hitch which is extremely durable yet which may be economically manufactured and sold and readily applied to or removed from a trailer vehicle and which is applicable for attachment to substantially any draft vehicle.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention Will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the steering trailer hitch shown attached to a portion of the chassis of a trailer;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and illustrating a portion of the trailer body;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional View taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3--3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the numeral 5 designates a portion of the forward end of a trailer body which is supported by a conventional spring suspension means 6 above the front axle 'I which constitutes a part of the trailer chassis and which has a stub axle 8 pivotally connected by a king bolt 9 to each end thereof and projecting therefrom. A steering knuckle I0 Iwhich is fixed to ory formed integral with each stub axle rIl extends rearwardly from adjacent each end of the axle 'I and the rear, free ends of the steering knuckles IIJ are pivotal- 1y connected to the'ends of a connecting or steering rod II for causing the stub axles 8 to swing as a unit relatively to the front axle 1.v A front steering wheel VI2 is journaled on. each of the stub axles 8 in a conventional manner. The parts previously described are all of conventional construction and the parts 1 to II, inclusive,- may constitute a conventional automobile front chassis structure.

The steering trailer hitch comprising theA invention and designated generally I4 includes a plate I5 which is detachably secured to the upper side of the intermediate portion of the axlel l by clamp fastenings I6 and which has a portion projecting forwardly therefrom and provided with an opening I'I. An'elongated bar or plate I8'is' disposed with its intermediate portion on the plate'v I5 and extends transversely across the axle 'l with the rearend thereof extending over the connecting rod II and with its forward end extending substantially forwardly of the plate I5. The plate or bar I8 is provided with an opening I9 which registers with the opening I'I and said aligned openings are adapted to receive the shank of a nut and bolt or other pivot fastening 20 by means of which said plate I8 is pivotally connected to the plate I5 for swinging movement thereon.

The plate I8 is provided with an elongated, longitudinally extending opening or slot 2I which is disposed over the connecting rod II for loosely receiving a bolt or threaded pin 22 which projects upwardly from a clamp 23 which is detachably secured to the intermediate portion of the connecting rod I I and which, as best seen in Figure 4, is composed of corresponding upper and lower clamp sections from the intermediate portion of the upper section of which projects said pin or bolt 22. An elongated bar 24 is disposed longitudinally over the connecting rod II and is secured at its ends thereto by detachable clamps 25, adjacent the ends of the connecting rod II. As illustrated in Figure 3, the intermediate portion of the bar 24 is upwardly oifset with respect to the ends thereof and is disposed over the bar or plate I8 and has an opening to removably receive the upper threaded end of the bolt or pin 22 which is retained in engagement therewith by a nut 26 lwhich engages said bolt 22, above the bar 24.

The forward end of the bar or plate I8 is rolled to provide a transversely extending barrel portion 21 for receiving the shank of a nut and bolt fastening 28 which extends therethrough and which also extends turnably through eyes 29 forming the rear end of a forwardly extending tongue or drawbar 3D which is thereby pivotally connected to the forward end of theplate I8 for vertical swinging movement and vwhich isi-prof vided with a suitable eye 3l at its fforward end adapted to detachably engage any suitable coupling unit, not shown, connected to a draft vehicle, not shown.

Assuming that the drawbar or tongue 3U is connected to a draft vehicle, "'t will 'be Vr'e'allily apparent that said drawbar may swing vertically relatively to the plate I8 to accommodate relative vertical movement of the fdraftand trailer vehicles as in passing over an uneven road surface. It will likewise be readily apparent that whenthe draft vehicle executes a turn that the tongue '30 will'swing 'horizontally with the kplate I8 relatively to the trailer axle I on the pivot 20 and 'said plate 'I8 'in s'o moving will Vcause the connecting rod "II 'to move in lthe samedirection as the rear end of the 'plate IB swings 'by engagement `of' `the pin or bolt y22 therewith and the openingl will allow for sliding move ment of the bolt 22 lrelatively to the plate I8 as the connecting 'rod moves transversely of 'the trailer while the :plate 'I8 'is 'swinging relatively thereto. The bar '24 likewise moves with "the connecting Lrod lII and 'functions `as a guard hto maintain the plate I8 in engagement with the gpin 22. 'The movement of the connectin'g'rod I'I 's transmitted 'to' the "Wheels 4I2 tl'ir'ou'g'h'tl'ie steering knuckles '.If and Vstub axles `I`I for causing .the frontwheels to turn or swing inthe same direction as the plate 'I8 and Etongue 3U so that the trailer will readily lfollowY in the path of its draft vehicle.

-Various inodi'c'ations and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted'to, with- 4 out departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter dened by the appended claim.

I claim as my invention: A steering trailer hitch comprising a base plate adapted to be detachably secured to the `iront axleoila trailer vehicleand'having a por- =tion extending forwardly therefrom, 1an elongated bar or plate disposed on said base plate and pivotally connected thereto at a point remote to the ends thereof and forwardly of the axle for svainging ini'ovement in a horizontal plane, said bar orplatehaving a portion adapted to be dis- ;posedover aponnecting rod of the trailer vehicle and rearwardly :of isaid axle, said portion being provided with an elongated, longitudinally disposed slo't for opening, a clamp detachably and Vadjustably secured to the connecting rod and 'having an upwardly projecting pin extending loosely through said slot or opening whereby said 'connecting 4rod nwill )be moved transversely 'of lthe trailer vehicle when 'said :bar or vlplate is swung lon its pivot, a "tongue or ydraw-bar pivotally connected `-for vertical Vswinging "move"- ment :to the Aforward -end of said Aplate or tar and extending Yforwardly therefrom, "and an elongated guard member having end w'portions detachably secured `to the 'connecting rod -and having an upwardly offset intermediate portion disposed over the slotted portion Aof 'said bar or plate and detachalbly Aconnected 'to'said pin for retaining the plate -in lengagen'ient Lwith the ,'pin.

JOHN

REFERENCES CITED V'he following references are -of record --in the file of this patent:

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